Is Apple Cider Vinegar a Cure for Urine Burns?

We love our dogs, but for some of us they provide us with an issue that makes caring for our lawn almost unbearable. (Urine burns)

Urine burn causing dead patches of grass in our lawns. There are a few strategies that we have discussed before, and some people get good results and others not so much.

What causes the burns in the first place?

The main issue is too much nitrogen in your dog’s urine. Some nitrogen is great for your lawn whilst too much can cause significant leaf burn and completely kill your grass in patches where it makes contact. Plus, if your dog likes to spread it around, your lawn can end up with dead spots all over the place!

Some cures will aim to dilute the urine, some will aim to change the pH and make the urine less alkaline. But what does apple cider vinegar do?

It is claimed that one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar per day will remove the nitrogen imbalance and stop the problem. You have two options, you can add it to their water, or you can add it to their food. It is also advised to use natural apple cider vinegar from a health food store, rather than the kind you find at your local supermarket.

The idea is essentially that because apple cider vinegar is quite acidic, by adding it to your pets diet you can lower the urines pH causing it to be less alkaline. There is no conclusive evidence that this will also lower the nitrogen levels however, which is the primary reason for the burns.

But if you have tried all the other options to no avail, then it might be worth looking at apple cider vinegar as an option. Like all urine burn associated cures though, sometimes they work sometimes they don’t, there is no definitive solution that works for everyone.

With any diet altering method we always recommend discussing this with your vet prior to trying the treatment.

If you are after some more possible solutions to this issue, check out our urine burns article here.